Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB2514 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Hughes S.B. No. 2514
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed March 13, 2025; April 3, 2025, read
	3	+	first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
	4	+	April 22, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
	5	+	Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 10, Nays 0; April 22, 2025,
	6	+	sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2514 By: Paxton
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6	13		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	14		AN ACT
8	15		relating to establishing the hostile foreign adversaries unit at
9	16		the Department of Public Safety and training, prohibitions, and
10	17		reporting requirements designed to combat foreign influence and
11	18		foreign adversary operations; creating a criminal offense.
12	19		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
13	20		SECTION 1. Chapter 411, Government Code, is amended by
14	21		adding Subchapter S to read as follows:
15	22		SUBCHAPTER S. HOSTILE FOREIGN ADVERSARIES UNIT
16	23		Sec. 411.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
17	24		(1) "Foreign adversary operation" means actions by
18	25		adversarial foreign governments that threaten the safety and
19	26		security of this state.
20	27		(2) "Unit" means the department's hostile foreign
21	28		adversaries unit established under this subchapter.
22	29		Sec. 411.552. HOSTILE FOREIGN ADVERSARIES UNIT. The
23	30		hostile foreign adversaries unit is established in the department
24	31		to support the department's duty to prevent the harassment and
25	32		coercion of this state's residents from foreign adversary
26	33		operations, strengthen state agencies against foreign adversary
27	34		operations, and protect this state's critical infrastructure
28	35		against threats foreign adversary operations pose.
29	36		Sec. 411.553. UNIT EMPLOYEES. The director may appoint
30	37		unit employees as necessary to perform unit functions.
31	38		Sec. 411.554. BIENNIAL REPORT. (a) Not later than December
32	39		1 of each even-numbered year, the unit shall submit to the governor
33	40		and the legislature a written report that assesses the threat
34	41		foreign adversary operations posed to this state, including to this
35	42		state's residents and governmental units, during the preceding two
36	43		years. The report must include:
37	44		(1) an assessment of the incidence of foreign
38	45		adversary operations conducted in this state, including operations
39	46		intended to influence political sentiment or public discourse; and
40	47		(2) strategies that have proven effective to combat
41	48		the operations described by Subdivision (1).
42	49		(b) On request by the unit, a state agency or a local law
43	50		enforcement agency shall provide to the unit information relating
44	51		to any foreign adversary operation that the agency has researched
45	52		or investigated or otherwise holds relevant information on.
46	53		Sec. 411.555. ADDITIONAL DUTIES. (a) The unit shall
47	54		collaborate with local governments and federal agencies to operate
48	55		the Texas Fusion Center.
49	56		(b) The unit shall refer for prosecution to the appropriate
50	57		prosecuting attorney cases in which individuals or organizations
51	58		have engaged in or assisted in foreign adversary operations in this
52	59		state.
53	60		Sec. 411.556. SECURE STORAGE OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION. (a)
54	61		The unit shall provide for the secure storage of sensitive
55	62		information obtained or produced as part of the report developed
56	63		under Section 411.554.
57	64		(b) Information determined as sensitive under Subsection
58	65		(a) is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.
59	66		Sec. 411.557. INFORMATION SHARING. With the approval of
60	67		the director, the unit may share information determined sensitive
61	68		under Section 411.556(a) with another federal, state, or local law
62	69		enforcement agency. The disclosure of information under this
63	70		section is not a voluntary disclosure under Section 552.007.
64	71		Sec. 411.558. RULES. The commission may adopt rules to
65	72		implement this subchapter.
66	73		SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is
67	74		amended by adding Section 572.070 to read as follows:
68	75		Sec. 572.070. PROHIBITIONS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
69	76		RELATED TO FOREIGN INFLUENCE; CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) In this
70	77		section, "foreign adversary" means a country:
71	78		(1) identified by the United States Director of
72	79		National Intelligence as a country that poses a risk to the national
73	80		security of the United States in at least one of the three most
74	81		recent Annual Threat Assessments of the U.S. Intelligence Community
75	82		issued pursuant to Section 108B, National Security Act of 1947 (50
76	83		U.S.C. Section 3043b); or
77	84		(2) designated by the governor after consultation with
78	85		the public safety director of the Department of Public Safety.
79	86		(b) An employee or volunteer of a state agency or a
80	87		political subdivision of this state may not:
81	88		(1) accept transportation to or lodging in a country
82	89		that is a foreign adversary and that is paid for by the foreign
83	90		adversary because of the employee's or volunteer's position with
84	91		the state or political subdivision; or
85	92		(2) accept a gift or item of value from a person
86	93		representing a foreign adversary for any purpose, including to pay
87	94		for travel expenses or as reimbursement for the costs of attending a
88	95		conference or other event in a country that is a foreign adversary
89	96		or that is hosted on behalf of a foreign adversary or a principal of
90	97		a foreign adversary.
91	98		(c) An employee or volunteer of a state agency or a
92	99		political subdivision of this state shall report to the commission,
93	100		in the form and manner the commission requires, each interaction,
94	101		communication, or meeting the employee or volunteer has with a
95	102		person acting on behalf of a foreign adversary not later than the
96	103		30th day after the date of the interaction, communication, or
97	104		meeting. The commission shall make available a report under this
98	105		subsection to the attorney general and the Texas Department of
99	106		Public Safety on request.
100	107		(d) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly
101	108		violates this section. An offense under this subsection is a state
102	109		jail felony.
103	110		SECTION 3. Section 2054.519, Government Code, is amended by
104	111		adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:
105	112		(f) In addition to the requirements for certification under
106	113		Subsection (b), a cybersecurity training program must include
107	114		education on:
108	115		(1) the threat of foreign adversaries and other
109	116		hostile foreign actors, including the United Front Work Department
110	117		of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and other
111	118		coordinated foreign influence operations;
112	119		(2) known efforts by foreign adversaries to target and
113	120		influence subnational governments, including efforts made by the
114	121		United Front Work Department;
115	122		(3) identifying and recognizing suspected foreign
116	123		influence operations;
117	124		(4) informational resources promulgated by federal,
118	125		state, and nongovernmental organizations on United Front Work
119	126		Department activities in this state and adjacent states; and
120	127		(5) reporting to the Texas Ethics Commission as
121	128		required by Section 572.070 and to law enforcement agencies
122	129		suspected foreign influence operations and other interactions with
123	130		persons acting on behalf of a foreign adversary.
124	131		(g) In Subsection (f), "foreign adversary" has the meaning
125	132		assigned by Section 572.070.
126	133		SECTION 4. Section 572.070(c), Government Code, as added by
127	134		this Act, applies to an interaction, communication, or meeting with
128	135		a person acting on behalf of a foreign adversary that occurs on or
129	136		after March 1, 2025. A person required to report an interaction,
130	137		communication, or meeting under that section that occurred before
131	138		the effective date of this Act shall make the report not later than
132	139		the 30th day after the effective date of this Act.
133	140		SECTION 5. (a) Not later than December 1, 2025, the
134	141		Department of Information Resources shall adopt rules implementing
135	142		the certification requirements of Section 2054.519(f), Government
136	143		Code, as added by this Act.
137	144		(b) Section 2054.519(f), Government Code, as added by this
138	145		Act, applies only to the certification of a cybersecurity training
139		-	program under that section that occurs on or after ~~May~~ 1, 2026. ~~The~~
140		-	certification of a cybersecurity training program under that
141		-	section that occurs before ~~May~~ 1, 2026, is governed by the law in
142		-	effect on the date of the certification, and the former law is
	146	+	program under that section that occurs on or after January 1, 2026.
	147	+	The certification of a cybersecurity training program under that
	148	+	section that occurs before January 1, 2026, is governed by the law
	149	+	in effect on the date of the certification, and the former law is
143	150		continued in effect for that purpose.
144	151		SECTION 6. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
	152	+	* * * * *